The background description provided herein is solely for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. Aspects of the background description are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the claimed subject matter.
In partial and complete knee arthroplasty or replacement procedures, the articular surfaces of the femur and tibia may be prepared to accommodate and anchor the respective femoral and tibial prostheses of the replacement knee joint. The bone surface preparation may require that precise cuts, or osteotomies, be made to the femur and tibia to attain the correct angles for limb alignment and reduce the risk of early implant failure.
Various tools and methods have been described for preparation of bone surfaces to accommodate the femoral and tibial prosthesis components in arthroplasty procedures. The goal of the osteotomies is to precisely align the center of the femoral head, the center of the knee and the center of the ankle along a straight mechanical axis formed by the femur and tibia. Precision in performing the osteotomies and placing the prostheses may greatly influence the outcome of the procedure.
Conventional techniques for preparation of bone surfaces in arthroplasty procedures may include use of a guide system which guides the femoral and tibial osteotomies in separate procedures. According to the technique, a rod is inserted into a longitudinal cavity in the femur and the tibia. A femoral cutting block and a tibial cutting block are assembled on the rod in perpendicular orientation to the anatomical axis of the femur and the tibia, respectively. As the osteotomies are made, the cutting blocks guide a saw blade along a plane which is perpendicular to the anatomical axis of the femur and the tibia, respectively, to form the cuts which form extension gaps that will accommodate the femoral and tibial prostheses.
The conventional arthroplasty preparation techniques are associated with several drawbacks, including complications such as fat emboli. Moreover, the extension gaps are subject to error since these steps are performed separately from each other. Additionally, the centralizing femoral and tibial components' alignment with the anatomical axis is subject to error.
Accordingly, minimally-invasive, extra-medullary knee arthroplasty preparation devices and methods which increase the speed, accuracy and simplicity of performing total or partial arthroplasty are desirable.